


Some Things Never Change (And Some Definitely Do)

by endless_grey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Halloween, M/M, Neighbors, Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-24 01:56:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8351791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endless_grey/pseuds/endless_grey
Summary: Every Halloween, Harry and Draco try to outdo one another.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for parseltonquiq and dreamydrarry for a Spooky Drarry Masterlist!

Every Halloween, Harry and Draco tried to outdo one another.

 

It had started three years ago, when Harry had noticed a worryingly familiar person moving in across the road from Grimmauld Place. He had been carrying his grocery shopping to his door, when he’d caught sight of someone with unmistakable white-blond hair re-expanding cardboard boxes in the doorway of the large Victorian house opposite his. He’d hurried inside the second he realised he’d been staring, and thankfully, it appeared that Malfoy had been too preoccupied to notice he was there.

The days that followed that, Harry had caught himself glancing out the front windows in hopes of catching sight of his former school nemesis. The odd glimpses of Malfoy he did get didn’t seem to show any signs of sinister behaviour though. Rather the opposite, he’d see Malfoy pass a window with a paintbrush in hand, sleeves rolled up, like he was redecorating. Or he’d catch him pruning the roses that were permanently in bloom in the front garden, looking decidedly un-evil.

Harry had managed to avoid bumping into Malfoy for nearly an entire month before it happened. Harry had been leaving Grimmauld Place to meet Ron and Hermione for lunch, when at the exact same moment, Malfoy opened his own front door and stepped out onto the path.

It took a moment for Malfoy to look up, and when he did, Harry realised that one; he’d been standing there frozen in place, and two; Malfoy didn’t look particularly happy to see him.

After the war, things had been civil between them, Harry having testified at he and Narcissa Malfoy’s trials, and Malfoy having muttered a stiff but sincere apology. Despite the fact they were no longer enemies like they had been in school, they still regarded one another frostily. Harry had figured that some things would never change.

After Malfoy looked straight at him, a mixture of confusion and then distaste crossing his face, Harry had hurried off to Diagon Alley before he could make more of a fool out of himself.

After that though, Harry couldn’t seem to stop crossing paths with Malfoy. He’d bump into him out shopping in Flourish and Blotts, see him drinking coffee across the street as he walked past, and worst of all; have awkward meetings across the road with him when they both happened to leave their houses at the same time.

For a long time neither of them spoke to the other, rather just exchanged unfriendly expressions at a safe distance, that was until Harry’s curiosity got the better of him.

A week before Halloween, instead of sneering back at Malfoy when they bumping into each other, Harry tried a different approach.

“Why are you living opposite me?” he asked. It had come out far more blunt than he had intended.

“Because it’s a house, Potter. You know, one of those things you live in?”

“Yes, but why opposite me?” Harry pushed.

“Oh yes, obviously I heard the Great Saviour lived in the house opposite and so I just had to snap it up” Malfoy drawled sarcastically.

“I have places to be, Potter, if you’re quite done wasting my time” he added.

“What’s that?” Harry asked, pointing to the papers in Malfoy’s hands.

“Invitations. I’m having a Halloween party, not that you need to know” Malfoy replied.

“But I always have a Halloween party, it’s the biggest in the street!” Harry exclaimed. It had been his way of turning Halloween into a happy day, rather than a day that just held sorrow, and it had become something of a tradition.

“Well it won’t be any longer, will it?” Malfoy smirked.

Harry knew a challenge when he heard it, especially from Malfoy.

 

* * *

 

During the week following his conversation with Malfoy, Harry had been almost completely Halloween focused. His party this year had to be better than it ever had been before if he was to beat Malfoy’s party. Malfoy was a Slytherin after all, and if Slytherins had one thing going for them, it was that they knew how to throw a good party.

He’d recruited Ron and Hermione to help him with decorations, and they’d been less than impressed when they’d heard his reasons for going so over-the-top.

“Not Malfoy again, Harry” Hermione had sighed.

“Why is it always Malfoy?” Ron had asked.

Harry knew they were right. For some reason, Malfoy managed to get under his skin more than anyone else ever could. For some reason, he couldn’t stand to be bettered by Malfoy at anything, especially when a challenge had been issued so obviously. He would never admit it out loud, but it was almost nice to revive their old school rivalry a bit.

They’d been goading each other from across the street all week, Malfoy making a big show of putting red fairy lights all around the foliage in his garden, and Harry loudly spelling spider webs all over the front windows of Grimmauld Place. Every time one of them added to their Halloween decorations, the other had to retaliate. They ended up with houses so dressed up that Harry had actually heard people commenting as they walked past. Then it became a competition on who could get the most comments on their decorations.

“Oh, Potter, I didn't see you there! I was just thinking about how someone walking past said my house was the best dressed they'd seen” Malfoy had said breezily one day, and Harry cast a spell to create fog so aggressively that the entire house was shrouded in it.

“Oh dear” Malfoy said patronisingly “It's okay, Potty. Not everyone is up to the job”

But Harry had got his own back later that day when he'd told Luna -very loudly- about the comments he'd received on his house.

“Oh yes, they said my house was far scarier than any others in the street”

He'd had to hold back a grin when he'd heard Malfoy mess up a spell across the road.

 

* * *

 

 

_**Halloween, 31/10/2000** _

 

When the night finally arrived, Harry was anxious to say the least. He didn't know what to expect. He knew that all his close friends would be there, but what if everyone else went to Malfoy's house? He had to admit -begrudgingly- that Malfoy's house _did_ look very good, but Harry was sure his was still better.

When the first guests arrived, Harry felt himself start to calm down. It appeared his house was going to be full again this year, and as always, everyone had come dressed in full Halloween costumes. He risked a glance through the front window and was dismayed to notice that Malfoy also had a big crowd at the front of his house. He could see the familiar faces of Parkinson and Zabini, and other Slytherins he'd never learnt the names of, but also some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs he'd hoped would come to _his_ party. And then he noticed Malfoy.

Malfoy was wearing what had to be the tightest leather trousers Harry had ever seen in his life, paired with a blood splattered shirt that had a generous amount of buttons undone. His hair was slicked back, and seemed to glow in the ethereal lights from the house, and his skin looked porcelain and flawless. Harry felt his mouth go dry. He'd noticed in passing that Malfoy had become an attractive man, but this was something else.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Hermione, and internally berated himself for thinking such things about not only the competition, but _Malfoy_ of all people. He followed Hermione to get drinks and laughed at how ridiculous he'd been.

If anyone caught him sneaking glances out the window throughout the night hoping to see Malfoy, well nobody could prove it.

*******

The week following Halloween felt strange. Harry had grown so used to Malfoy's company across the road as they'd both prepared for Halloween that he almost felt a little empty without it. Every time he did anything in the front garden, he almost expected to hear a snide comment from the house opposite, and it disappointed him a little that there never was.

Until one day there was. A month or so after Halloween, Harry was pruning the roses under the window of Grimmauld Place, a gift from Luna, when he heard it.

“I'm pretty sure the only thing that looks worse than those roses is you, Potter”

Harry couldn't help the little bubble of excitement and competition and _familiarity_ that rose up inside him. He turned around to find Malfoy leant against the lamppost by the garden.

Weirdly, since Halloween, Harry had become incapable of not noticing how attractive Malfoy was. And today was no different. The coat Malfoy was wearing hugged his waist, slimline and neat, and Harry imagined pulling him in by it. The cold weather brought out a light flush across the tops of his cheekbones, and his lips looked red and wind-bitten. He wondered what they'd look like if they were _actually_ bitten.

“Oh, sod off, Malfoy” Harry sniped, before his thoughts could get any more carried away.

“Do you not think it prudent to call me by my first name?” Malfoy asked, sweetly. “We are neighbours after all, _Harry_ ”

Harry knew he was making fun of him, just trying to wind him up, but he couldn't help the way his heart stuttered at the sound of his own name of Malfoy's lips.

“Of course, _Draco_ ” Harry replied, drawing out the syllables of the name. The name felt both foreign, and like the most natural thing he'd ever said. He felt satisfaction wash over him at the way the flush in Draco's cheeks darkened.

“Yes, well, good.” Draco replied stiffly, and Harry could grin from the enjoyment of having left him speechless for once.

“See you later, Draco” Harry called, as Draco turned and headed towards his own house. He really hoped he did.

*******

In the months that followed, they bumped into one another far more than what Harry would consider to be a coincidence. And as it neared the next Halloween, it became even more regular.

“Are you stalking me?” Draco asked one day, as Harry came face to face with him, entering the shop Draco was leaving.

“No, of course not” Harry frowned.

“You've done it before” Draco accused, folding his arms.

“If I wanted to know more about your life, Draco, I would take you for coffee” Harry replied.

“Is that an invitation?” Draco challenged.

Harry warred with himself before he spoke. He had been being facetious, just trying to get a reaction, but the thought of actually taking Draco out had crossed his mind a few times. He knew, however, that Draco was just trying to get a reaction, if Harry said yes, he'd laugh at the idea. Harry would never hear the end of it, or the jokes that would accompany it.

“No, of course not” Harry snorted, as convincingly as possible.

“Then leave me alone” Draco snapped. And Harry was almost sure he saw a flash of disappointment in those grey eyes, before Draco was pushing past him and stamping down Diagon Alley and out of sight.

 

* * *

 

Soon, Halloween was fast approaching, and Harry decided to make a start of putting out the decorations for his Halloween party. Unfortunately, Draco decided to start his that day too. Harry was sure it was only because he'd seem him start that they were both out there furiously charming cobwebs everywhere.

“Come off it, Potter” Draco called. “You can't expect to compete with my party again”

“There's no competition, Malfoy” Harry snapped.

“Yes, because my house is here” Draco replied, condescendingly.

It went on like this for the next few days, both of them throwing insults as much as they threw out Halloween themed charm work, and by the time Halloween was upon them, Harry's temper was very nearly at the end of it's tether.

It was October 30th, and Harry was outside again, putting the finishing touches to the house, the charmed bats being one of the more tricky spells to get right.

He had completed a few when he heard a snort of laughter from across the road. Harry took a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes for a second. He was determined not to rise to the bait. He continued charming in silence for a moment, before a voice appeared right behind him.

“I think that one has a disproportionate wing”

Harry swung around to come face-to-face with Draco, who had somehow snuck up behind him while he'd been concentrating.

“Merlin, you almost gave me a heart attack” Harry exclaimed. “What do you want? I'm busy”

“Oh I just came over here to look at the competition, but I can't seem to find any” Draco remarked.

“My house is perfect competition, actually” Harry snapped. Damn it, he had risen to the bait.

“This house wouldn't scare an infant” Draco shot back.

In the next split second, Harry had one of the charmed bats flying at Draco's face at full speed, and Draco backing away just as fast, until his back hit the wall of the house.

Harry followed him over there, grinning widely.

“Looks like it can scare you though” He smirked.

“I was not scared” Draco insisted. “It was merely irritating”

“You're backed against a wall” Harry commented, moving in closer. It was working, Draco looked mildly intimidated.

“Scared, Malfoy?” Harry asked coyly. “Looks like the tables have turned”

Harry could reach out and touch Draco at this point if he wanted to, he could feel the warmth coming of Draco's body in the cool Autumn air, see how he was breathing a little faster, his cheeks turning that delicious pink.

“I'm not scared of you, _Harry_ ” Draco replied defiantly, his eyes bright and full of challenge.

And Harry took it, moving forward and pressing Draco against the wall hard, until he was sure it must be uncomfortable. Their lips met in a clumsy rush, both of them gasping at the contact. Harry's hands went to Draco's face automatically, feeling warm, flushed skin under cold fingertips. Draco melted for him, his mouth opening up under Harry's lips. Their tongues met, slow and perfect, and Harry sighed softly.

He was sure that he'd never had a better kiss in his life, and it was with Draco Malfoy. _Draco Malfoy_. Who was supposed to be someone he disliked, not someone he kissed. _Fuck_ , Harry though briefly. Draco's mouth was soft and pliant under his, and he could feel hands on his waist. It was too intimate, this wasn't meant to happen. He wasn't meant to be attracted to a Malfoy, he wasn't meant to be kissing him. Before he could regret it, he pulled back.

The soft, open look on Draco's face almost made him change his mind, and then he was reminding himself of who they were, and why it would never work anyway.

“This was a mistake” Harry said quickly, and Draco's expression shut down immediately. His eyes becoming guarded and blank.

“Yes, I agree” Draco replied, his voice toneless. “You're a terrible kisser”

Draco pulled away roughly, and straightened his coat, before turning to leave.

“Wait, Draco, I didn't-” Harry began.

“I just had a momentary lapse in sanity, obviously” Draco interrupted.

“Anyway, I must get back to completing my house to be the best party this road has ever seen” he finished, and then he was walking pridefully over to his own house, and Harry was left wondering what had just happened.

 

* * *

 

_**Halloween 31/10/2001** _

 

The night was going well so far, everyone seemed to be having fun and he could only slightly hear the music from across the road. When he'd peeked out the front window, Draco's house was again busy and lively. But was it more busy and lively than his?

He had been trying not to think about what had happened the previous day, but he couldn't help feeling strangely disappointed that he couldn't see Draco at all through the window. He had tried to convince himself that what had happened had just been a terrible lapse in judgement on both their parts, but Harry had to admit that he'd liked it, he'd wanted to. It had seemed like Draco had wanted to too, and that was more confusing than anything else.

“Harry, I'm gonna head off. Gotta nip over the road, some of my friends are there” Parvati said, shaking him from his thoughts.

“You're going to Draco's party?” Harry asked incredulously, swinging round to look at her.

“Well yeah, for a bit” she replied. “Thanks for the invite!” and then she was heading towards the front door.

Harry couldn't believe that Draco was stealing his party guests now! Maybe he had bribed them with something. He frowned as he saw Parvati cross the road and into Draco's house. Maybe this was payback for what had happened between them. Draco was obviously trying to ruin his party to get back at him.

For some reason -probably the firewhiskey- he decided the most obvious solution would be to go around there to confront Draco in person. So before anyone could stop him, he marched across the road and into the rival party.

He kept his head up defiantly as he walked through the house. He hated to admit that the decorations were very good. Carved pumpkins of all different sizes sat upon every surface, flickering tea lights glowing inside them. It filled the room with low, eery light, and set shadows upon the other decorations. There was everything from charmed toy spiders crawling in patterns across the ceiling, to charmed disembodied hands carrying the trays.

He saw that shock of blond hair across the room, and pushed his way through the crowd. Draco turned around almost as if he had known Harry was walking over, and suddenly Harry forgot what he was going to say.

Draco looked stunning once again, he was wearing a black suit, and appeared to be wearing a glamour that made his skin even paler and brighter than normal, which only made the grey of his eyes seem darker and stormier than ever before. Although, they could also be stormy because Harry was currently standing there staring.

Harry grappled for words for a second before Draco spoke instead.

“What do you want?” He demanded.

“I... uh-” Harry stammered.

“Oh, for Merlin's sake, are you going to babble like a drunken oaf all night?” Draco demanded.

“No!” Harry snapped. “I came to find out why you're stealing my guests”

Draco laughed humourlessly.

“They came here by choice, idiot. I didn't _steal_ them” he rolled his eyes.

“Why would they choose you over me?” Harry demanded.

“My party is clearly better” Draco retaliated.

Harry was about to shout at him, the words on the tip of his tongue, when he heard Luna's voice behind him.

“It was such a good idea to bring the party over here, Harry! We can all celebrate together” she exclaimed cheerfully.

Harry spun around. It appeared that everyone from his party had followed him over to Draco's house for some strange reason.

“Why are you all here? My party is over there!” Harry exclaimed.

“Well you're here” Luna replied, confused.

“Yes, but I-” Harry began, but then he stopped. His friends all came to his party to spend time with him, not with his house decorations. It didn't matter who's decorations were better (although it was clearly his), he should just be enjoying Halloween.

“You're all welcome” Draco said loudly, shaking him from his thoughts, and then he was grabbing Harry by the arm and leading him into the empty kitchen.

“Potter- Harry, I'm not trying to steal your party” Draco said in a rush, stopping so fast that Harry nearly bumped into him.

“I kno-” Harry started, but Draco was interrupting him.

“If you want me to send your friends away, I will, and then you can have your party back” He offered, “I know you hate me or whatever, but I'm trying to let go of the war, so you can just go and I'll stay away”

“I don't hate you” Harry blurted. “You're infuriating, but I don't hate you”

“You said it was a mistake”

Harry knew he was referring to the kiss straight away, and he thought back to it, back to how good it had been. He thought back to how he'd felt afterwards, and he knew he had been wrong.

“Because I never thought we'd work, since our history isn't exactly a shining example of affection. But look at our friends” Harry indicated out the kitchen door, to where everyone was mingling and dancing together.

“If they can do it, why can't we?” Harry finished.

“You're still a git” Draco murmured, but his hand was coming up to cup Harry's face.

“And you're the biggest prat I've ever met” Harry replied, before he was leaning in a pressing his lips to Draco's, feeling oddly at-home.

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of the night passed in a blur of dancing and toasts and laughter. It was surreal to see Gryffindors chatting to Slytherins, past prejudices left behind. He found himself by Draco's side most of the night, neither of them seeing able to stay away.

And that night, after an evening spent dancing badly and secret kisses in dark corners, he found himself in Draco Malfoy's bedroom, gently being worked open, kissed breathless, and coming apart under Draco, feeling more blissful than he ever had.

 

* * *

 

**_Halloween 31/10/2002_ **

 

That had been a year ago, and this year they were planning what Harry knew would be the best Halloween party so far, because they were doing it together. They still argued adamantly over who's ideas were better, and still ended up competing over who could put the decorations up fastest, but some things wouldn't change. He glanced over to where Draco was balancing a cup of coffee on one knee and a notepad on the other, and he couldn't help but smile. Draco glanced up and met his eyes, before leaning over to kiss him softly on the lips. But maybe some things could change, and maybe this would be the best Halloween yet.

 


End file.
